Movie Rec: _Dear Frankie_

I just watched the movie Dear Frankie, and I positively adore it. It stars Gerard Butler (also known as my mom's boyfriend), Emily Mortimer, and Jack McElhone as Frankie. Summary from IMDB: "After having responded to her son's numerous letters in the guise of his father, a woman hires a stranger to pose as his dad when meeting him."

If I had to use one word to describe this movie, I would say it's v. touching. I just love the story, and the actors are all really good. All of them convey so many emotions and thoughts with just their facial expressions.

I wish little movies would get recognized more, instead of the dime-a-dozen "blockbusters."

Like I mentioned before, the plot and acting is amazing, but it also doesn't hurt that Butler is (and I almost don't want to mention it because it could seem to cheapen my love of the movie) one sexy bastard. Whew.

The only quibble I have with the movie, and it's a small one, is that some of the songs in the movie seem inappropriate for the scenes they're used in. I think soundtrack is important, but two songs in this movie, in particular, seemed to intrude on the scene, not quite throwing me out of the movie, but threatening to.

Here on Turtle Island.

Yesterday I attended an American Indian festival. I'm part Shoshoni (further back than I'd like...), so I'm always trying to experience their culture. I always joke with my parents that I'm going to go live with my People. :)

Anyway, they had a Pow Wow going on, and to the amazement of my parents, I actually joined in and danced with the Indians! It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I learned a traditional women's dance and took part in the "free-style" all-Tribes dance. Just when I started to get into the dance, you know, ready to do spins like I saw the real Indians do, the drums stopped! So I wished I had worked up the nerve to jump in the ring earlier. I'm going to buy an American Indian music CD soon, with drums and chants and etc.

But now I'm obsessed with turtles. I've decided they're my new favorite thing, and I'm going to start collecting turtle-objects. I bought two charms at the festival yesterday, and I'm busy making turtle icons.

...but, I mean, how many people can say they danced in an American Indian ceremony?

This song reminds me of turtles swimming in the ocean: "starálfur" by sigur rós.

This song is so beautiful and haunting that I almost can't bear to listen to it. Do you know what I mean? It's from one of the last scenes in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. If you've seen the movie, you'll remember this song. ...the band is from Iceland.

I'm going to toss bread out to the snapping turtles in my pond now. :)

Live 8.

The Live 8 concerts were the most pointless concerts ever held. The performers said they weren't about raising money; they were about raising awareness. Well, they didn't do a v. good job, now did they, because most people probably don't know if they were raising awareness about poverty or starvation in Africa (and, yes, they are two different things). Actually, they were about giving countries debt forgiveness.

They concerts were purely masturbary efforts on the performers' behalfs. They wanted to improve their image. They wanted to be able to point to themselves and say, hey, look at us! We're not just rock stars (or rock star wannabees, in some cases)! We help the world!

But if they really wanted to help the world, why not raise some effing money off of these concerts? Even if they only charged $1 a head to get into the concert, that's $10,000 a concert (or more!) they could have donated to Africa!

No, the people in Africa don't get any charity from these concerts, but the artists sure do. For performing, every one of them received gift baskets filled with 1000s of dollars worth of gifts. That sure makes a lot of sense. I thought they were trying to help poor people, not themselves.

It makes me sick. I would say more, but dinner is ready.

Angelina Jolie.

After a trip to Ethiopia earlier this year, Jolie said of Maddox: 'My son is in love with Africa, so he has been asking for an African brother or sister.'"

Kids are not toys, okay, Jolie?

...lord, I can't stand her.

I think, though, if she weren't such a homewrecker I might like her. Oh, wait, I forgot about the whole likes-to-kiss-her-brother thing, too. That's just odd.