Enjoying This Day and Age and More Summer Movies!

It took months, but Princess and I finally finished watching West Side Story for the first time Friday night. It was entertaining, though long, and I don't know why I never watched it as a child. I've certainly seen The Sound of Music no less than twenty times. We were both surprised that the song "Somewhere" was actually from this movie and not Barbra Streisand. We were also quite entertained by the dark pancake makeup they used to make the actors look Puerto Rican. Being raised here in LA as a second generation kid, sometimes I forget how dating outside your race is intolerable and taboo for the older generation and perhaps still in several parts of the world. It just seems so silly to me when you look at the big picture now.

On Saturday, I met Ballet Dancer at the Arclight Theaters. It was my first time there and despite the pain of actually getting through the traffic to Hollywood and the insane parking lot, I would definitely go there again. It's what a movie experience should be - reserved seating, cleanliness, attentive staff who introduce each movie and personally request people to turn off phones and refrain from talking, AND stand in the wings throughout the whole movie to make sure temperature, sound, EVERYTHING runs smoothly. Not to mention a very nice theater with comfy stadium seating, crisp screens and sound buffering from the typical action movie next door.

We watched Becoming Jane, which is right up our alley. However, I'm usually one for happy endings. Though I knew in the back of my mind that Miss Jane Austen died young as a spinster, although a successful novelist, I couldn't help but hope that the movie would give her a happy ending with her true love. Because I'm just a sap that way. I was a bit sad afterwards for her, and again marveled at how horrible it was for people, especially women back then, when money and property meant everything to a good marriage. Again, I take that for granted in this day and age but I also do wonder if I'll end up like her and whether that's so bad?

Finally, on Sunday, after an early morning (ack!) adventurous yoga session with Jigaho and brunch with our friends, a bunch of us caught The Bourne Ultimatum. I've always loved Matt Damon despite the whole dumping of his girfriend on national television (talk about not handling a breakup smoothly) and I loved the Jason Bourne series. The movies are always intelligent, fast paced, intriguing, and fun to watch. This third one in the series is no exception. In fact, I think it's better than the second one because it has more of an emotional hook to it, without losing any of the pacing. Definitely recommended! I hope they make more!

Oh I also caught the movie Sunshine a week ago, a small sci-fi thriller from Danny Boyle- he of Trainspotting and 28 Days Later fame. I was drawn in by the crazy improbable premise, a bunch of astronauts traveling to the sun to deliver a nuclear bomb to the core and reignite the star before it dies out, and by its diverse international cast. Of course, I can't give an accurrate review of it as I saw the last thirty minutes hunched in the corner of my seat with my hands over my face. Erm, I'm a bit of a scaredy cat and though this isn't a horror flick, it's quite tense and some crazy stuff happens as the movie concludes. Still, I would objectively say it's a good movie and if you like that sort of stuff, definitely go support it.