‘Midnight in Paris’ Re-energizes the Silverscreen

Ok, I know I’ve been out of commission for a bit, things have been busy, but I’m back and ready for some blogging! I went to Tulsa a couple weeks ago to visit Josh. While I was there we saw this great new movie by Woody Allen that I highly recommend! Might I add, it was refreshing to know that you could see a good indie flick SOMEWHERE in Oklahoma…but I won’t even get started on that rant. Any way, it was fun, witty, refreshing and a great reminder that there is still a bit of culture to be found in the movies.

With an all-star cast and a stellar script, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris reinvigorates the movie scene. Big name actors such as Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates and Marion Cotillard take to the screen in the story of an American writer suffering from a severe case of artistic nostalgia.

Owen Wilson plays Gill, a screenwriter turned novelist vacationing in Paris with his fiancé, played by McAdams, and her parents. Gill, who considers his life as a screenwriter that of a hack, is struggling to write his first novel about a man who owns a nostalgia shop. Gill struggles from nostalgia himself and dreams of being in Paris in the 1920’s, an era he considers the “golden age” of literature and art.

One night as Gill drunkenly wanders Paris, he is ushered in to an old-fashioned looking car right at the stroke of midnight. The next thing he knows he finds himself in 1920s Paris in the company of Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, Ernest Hemingway, and other great artists from the era. The movie follows Gill’s trips back and forth between time as he enlists Hemingway’s help in critiquing his novel.

Along the way Gill comes to learn that nostalgia is a dangerous thing to get caught up in. His encounters with the great historical figures make him realize that they are no more satisfied with their present than he is with his. Rather than lose himself in a longing, he learns to take control of his life and appreciate its beauty.

The script’s witty portrayal of historical figures such as Hemingway, the Fitzgeralds, and even Salvador Dali, played brilliantly by Adrian Brody, is not only true to the figures as we understand them today, but are likewise entertaining with their multitude of allusions and puns. It is clear that Allen, who also wrote the script, put a lot of thought into each character no matter how brief their screen time. The dialogue between every character is loaded with historical value that the well read will greatly appreciate.

Wilson’s character is dynamic and sincere, a refreshing change from his characters in the romantic comedies he so often fins himself in. Corey Stoll’s moody, frank Hemingway is spot on, and will leave you in tears of laughter at times. The relationship between the Fitzgeralds is humorous, but allusive, without going to deep—an excellent choice, as I think it would have diverted from the storyline. McAdams gives an effective performance as the bossy fiancé that leaves you waiting for that midnight escape.

Allen has created a true piece of art with this film. This wity script and excellent acting will not only entertain you, it will leave you feeling fulfilled. It is nice to see a change of pace amongst the multitude of super hero and action films inundating the theaters this summer. Midnight in Paris will have you saying ‘now that’s a movie!’ as you leave.

Now my biggest gripe right now, and I have to throw it out there, is that many people won’t see this movie because they don’t like Woody Allen. My Mom and many other conservatives HATE Woody Allen, because let’s face it, he is quite standoffish politically. But hating him is no reason to prematurely judge his movies, He is a brilliant artist and talented director and you should not do yourself the disservice of not seeing this movie on account of his political opinions. Just some food for thought.

Cheers! 

‘Blue Valentine’ A Must-See Movie

So another Wednesday has rolled around, which means it’s another late night at the office. However, it provides me the perfect opportunity to finish my review of ‘Blue Valentine’. I have to confess though, my Wednesday night plans fell through last week when I unknowingly entered a movie store whose copies of ‘Blue Valentine’ were all checked out. So upsetting I know, it was after all the second time I had attempted to checkout the movie. But not to worry! After getting off my other job at Saltgrass Steakhouse Thursday night, I successfully rented it and sat down with my good friend Emily and my roommate Heather to watch it. Emily also happened to bring a delicious concoction consisting of chocolate, peanut butter, coconut and marshmallows to our movie party, it was delicious! I foresee a future guest blog…

Any way, on to the movie.

As I left the movie store, movie in hand, the girl behind the counter warned me to be prepared to be depressed. Perhaps I was over-prepared for the theme of the movie because it wasn’t as devastating to me as I expected. That being said, it is undeniably sad. The movie goes back in forth between the present and the past, so that you are simultaneously seeing the birth and death of a relationship. The change in time isn’t confusing though, so don’t worry if you usually have difficulty following time jumps. The superb acting by Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, paired with effective physical changes make it easy to distinguish what time you are in.

The changes in time are spread out so that it’s not overwhelming. Only at the very end do you fluidly find yourself going back and forth in a Coppola-esqe  montage that highlights the antithesis of the beginning and end and likewise tears at your heart strings. The script is excellent and left me wondering if writer/director Derek Ciafrance didn’t have a little personal experience peppered into it. It was honest, raw, and dynamic both in story and in character.

At the beginning of the movie, I found myself severely disliking William’s character Cindy. Her cold distance and lack of effort stood in stark contrast to Gosling’s fun, loving and charismatic– albeit still childish for his age– Dean. However as the movie progressed, I realized that I had met Cindy at her breaking point. It was not that she was not trying, or was just indifferent, it was that she had ALREADY tried everything and had watched it fail. She had given everything and had nothing left to give. In realizing this and in seeing Dean’s progressively volatile behavior, I ended up feeling more empathy for Cindy rather than Dean.

However, I think part of the true brilliance of this movie, is that you don’t take sides. It’s no ones fault per-say. True Dean is a little out of control at the end, but he won’t give up. He refuses to walk away from his marriage because he loves Cindy, he loves their daughter ( a daughter who probably isn’t even his) and he honors his marriage vows. He is devoted to the family he formed when Cindy had no one else to turn to, a family that he technically has no responsibility to.

The excellent script and versatility of the actors makes this movie both beautiful and terrifying. We want so badly to be like Cindy, who looked at her parents and vowed to never be like them. We want to say to ourselves, ‘that won’t be me’. But at the same time, it’s a possibility. That’s what makes the movie so effective above all else, it’s raw honesty.

If you haven’t see ‘Blue Valentine’ you NEED to. It is a prime example of art because it is a brilliant reflection of human nature and the complicated realities of loving someone. As Dean sings in the song that has become a trademark of the movie, ‘you always hurt, the ones you love’.

The Perfect Start to My Day

Good morning! I hope you are all having a wonderful Saturday, I know I am. Try not to be jealous of the picture to your left, it is UH-MAZING! But more about that later.

I worked until close last night at Saltgrass so I decided to just call it a night and head to my apartment. So I watched part of the movie ‘Fracture’ (speaking of Ryan Gosling?), which was on TNT, and then went to bed. I can’t complain. This morning however, I thought I’d grab some breakfast at one of my favorite local places here in Norman: Crimson & Whipped Cream!

Crimson & Whipped Cream is a local bakery on Campus Corner here in Norman. Their name plays off of OU’s school colors, crimson and cream. They opened this year so they are fairly new. It is one of my absolutely FAVORITE places to go in Norman period! The people are incredibly friendly and definitely remember a face. They bake everything in-house, and boy do they have a variety.

From cupcakes to scones, pumpkin bread, cookies, cinnamon rolls, granola bars, whoopie pies and tons more. They bake everything fresh throughout the day and vary their flavors each day. I haven’t had a thing here yet that I didn’t like. Today I tried one of their new flavors, it was a vanilla bean cupcake with strawberry buttercream…and yes, you can see the real pieces of fresh strawberries in it. It’s incredible, it’s like summer in a cupcake.

You’ll also notice that I’m enjoying a cup of coffee with my cupcake. They also have the coffee selection of a coffeehouse, which is great…especially for those coffee addicts out there *cough* *cough*. They have great brew as well as Brazilian and Colombian espressos. And of course you can get your lattes, macchiatos, Americanos, etc. If you’re not a coffee drinker, they also have tons of tea options– including a delicious chai that is one of my favorites– as well as sodas and in-house lemonade!

The atmosphere is so fun, and another reason I love this place. With a cute granite top bar, open pastry cases, wooden table with steel chairs, and over hanging mason jar lights, this places is relaxing and cute. It also has a variety of old school board games to if you’re looking to pass the time with friends. And of course, one of it’s particularly endearing elements is the photo booth where customers can take photo and then hang them on the wall of the shop.

Another great thing about Crimson & Whipped Cream is that you can get orders to-go; whether it’s a big call-ahead order, or a pop in and pick up a few of whatever they have. It’s great if you have a sweet tooth and want a quick little treat, or if you want to surprise someone. My boyfriend Josh got me a box of their Valentine-themed cupcakes back in Februaury, and let me tell you, BEST gift ever!

And lastly I should point out that they are so AFFORDABLE! Which is great for us college kids on a budget. Every baked good is under $3, and many of the cookies are $.50 to $1. Also, if you follow them on Facebook they post when their having specials of half-off sales so you can come in and take advantage of that .

Honestly, if you haven’t been here yet, you are missing out! Whether you want to study, read,  hang out with friends or start your Saturday off right, this is the PERFECT place! It’s atmosphere, great prices and great tasting baked goods and coffee make it, in my opinion one of, if not THE best spots in Norman, and the OKC area for that matter.

Look for a more formal review of Crimson & Whipped Cream under my ‘Reviews’ section, complete with a ton of more photos

So make a point to come by, you won’t be disappointed. And hey, you may even see me, as I find myself popping by more and more often! Oh and one last thing:

My Saturday morning started off perfectly!

Cheers!

Late-night Wednesdays

I know the picture paired with the title probably makes it seem like I’m having a steamy rendezvous tonight…I’m NOT. Don’t worry.

 

 

 

So Wednesdays are long days for us here at The Daily. During the summer we’re a weekly newspaper instead of a daily. Since the paper comes out every Thursday, we work our normal hours during the day and then late into the night to design the newspaper and get it to the press. So pretty much it’s a 12 hour day. I go in around 10am and work until 10:30ish at night. Right now I’m taking a break from editing my photos to post this because I obviously can’t wait to call it a day and head home to relax.

My evening relaxation consists of a future blog post. I plan on sitting down with a nice glass of wine and watching Blue Valentine! I know, I know, where have I been? Everyone I know that loves indie films has already seen it. Cut me a little slack, indie films don’t normally come to Oklahoma. It’s a crime, I know, but I make do.

So I couldn’t see it in theatres, but yes, I am to blame for having not rented it since it’s been out nearly a month. I’m so excited! I love Ryan Gosling– but not in that he’s-just-attractive-oh-my-god-The Notebook-way– come one, Lars and the Real Girl anyone? He’s a great actor and the previews make it out to be a very honest movie. Being a theatre nerd, I love an honest, acting-based movie. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good thriller and excellent special effects. But my heart has a soft spot for movies that let the acting carry them.

Any way, hopefully the paper will be done in a few hours and I will head home, settle down with my wine and watch Blue Valentine. The result of course, will culminate in a post reviewing the movie. Get excited!

Cheers!

Add a little Zin & Zen to your life!

Hello all! This is the first post of the Zin & Zen blog. I have to say I am very excited about launching this blog. I’ve had a couple failed attempts at blogs in the past, mostly because I’m so busy and I don’t get the blog design perfect so I drop it. This blog is a work in progress though. I really want to start posting and getting stuff out there, the design will just have to grow as I master the art of HTML and CSS ha ha. The cool thing is the earlier you follow, the more you’ll see the change! So just remember, this blog’s design may be limited at the moment, but it has a lot of heart. And furthermore, the appearance isn’t the point. The point of this blog is to remind you to enrich your life! We get caught up in the chaos that is life and we some times forget that it’s the little things that matter. For example, right now I’m stuck at work for my 12 hour Wednesday. One of my reporters was thoughtful and brought me an Italian Roast from Starbucks! Made my day. There’s nothing a good cup of coffee can’t fix for me, but paired with a touch of thoughtfulness, it’s one of those things that really makes you stop for a moment. So welcome to Zin & Zen! I hope you finda few of those moments here. Because everyone needs a little Zin and a little Zen in their lives!